Fishing for big game fish (such as marlin, king mackerel, and dolphin) involves not only attracting and hooking the fish, but also keeping the fish on the hook and finally reeling it in against its efforts to free itself. The process of reeling in the fish further involves “playing” the fish so as to exhaust the fish's energy while not allowing it to break the line. This means the angler must reel the fish in skillfully, allowing it to fight to some extent and also periodically let the fish run the line out with little resistance. In this way, the fish's endurance is depleted to the point it can be reeled into the boat with little chance of loss.
Battling game fish is enjoyable, but it can be laborious, and on rare occasions injurious, to the angler. Moreover, it often causes considerable wear or even damage to the reel assembly, even if it does not culminate in the loss of the fish. Sometimes the entire tackle is snapped or pulled overboard. A need exists for a device that assists the angler in setting the hook and keeping limited tension on the hook at all times, without taking the fun out of the fishing. The present invention solves this problem by helping to prevent the fish from breaking the line when it is fighting most violently, firmly setting the hook, all the while increasing the satisfaction of the sport by increasing the chance of landing the fish.